1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to equipment and tools for use by mechanics and others in the maintenance of motor vehicles and other devices having little ground clearance, and more particularly to a low, wheeled creeper to facilitate access beneath a motor vehicle. The present creeper is collapsible for compact storage, yet includes a number of convenient features such as tool storage, work lights, etc. for greater versatility.
2. Description of the Related Art
The mechanic's creeper in its basic form, has been known for decades. These devices greatly facilitate access beneath a motor vehicle or other low-slung mechanical device, for work beneath the machine. Creepers are conventionally constructed as relatively small, thin, generally rectangular platforms having sufficient size to support the back, hips, and head of a supine person lying thereon, with a small roller, caster, or wheel at each corner to minimize ground clearance. While virtually every mechanic owns at least one such device, they are impractical for use by professional drivers and others who may have need to perform maintenance beneath a vehicle while away from their home base or a maintenance facility.
The reason conventional creepers are impractical for such on-the-road use is that they are generally constructed of a single, rigid sheet of material, usually a relatively thin plywood. No provision is made for folding such creepers for more compact storage. While such creepers are relatively thin, they still require a few linear feet of storage space to accommodate their unbroken lengths. As a result, a very few folding creepers have been developed. However, the few folding creepers known to the present inventor, are all relatively bulky in thickness when folded. This obviates much of the advantage of their reduced length when folded. Moreover, the folded configuration of such creepers does not allow any room for storage of tools or equipment, accessories such as armrest pads, or supplemental work lighting, all of which are desirable features in such devices.
The present invention responds to this need by providing a mechanic's creeper with a telescoping extendible frame, upon which a supplemental lower back or hip rest cushion may be installed to expand the present creeper to the equivalent of a full length conventional creeper. The use of a telescoping frame to adjust the length of the present creeper, provides sufficient room in the remainder of the frame for the storage of tools, parts, and equipment, as well as the hip rest cushion for the frame extension. The present creeper may be provided with adjustably positionable supplemental lighting and removable arm rests with tool pouches, with a specially configured container being provided for storage of the components.
A discussion of the related art of which the present inventor is aware, and its differences and distinctions from the present invention, is provided below.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,698,731 issued on Oct. 6, 1987 to Frederick W. Johns, Sr., titled “Mechanic's Creeper,” describes a generally conventional creeper having an extension attached to the head end thereof, with a light installed on the extension. The extension is connected to the head of the creeper by a butt joint, with a metal plate securing the two components together; no folding or collapsible structure is provided for the extension. As the main problem of a conventional creeper for use in the intended operating environment of the present invention is its length, the addition of a permanently installed extension on the Johns, Sr. creeper teaches away from the present invention. Moreover, Johns, Sr. does not provide any means for tool or parts storage, arm rests, or other features provided in the present creeper.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,558 issued on Jan. 22, 1991 to Philip W. Morris, titled “Attachment For Mechanic's Creeper,” describes a conventional creeper formed of a single, unitary sheet of material and having an extension permanently attached thereto. The extension includes lighting along the sides and head end thereof, as well as a tool storage tray disposed at the head end of the creeper. The same drawbacks as noted in the discussion of the creeper of the '731 U.S. Patent to Johns, Sr. immediately above, i.e. the lack of any means for collapsing or folding the device for compact storage, are noted here as well.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,299,826 issued on Apr. 5, 1994 to Henry C. Flowers, titled “Multi-Function Cart,” describes a utility cart having an adjustable width, but no adjustment for the length is provided. The Flowers cart includes numerous accessories and components in order to provide an extremely versatile device. One of the components which may be added to the Flowers cart is a relatively thin and flat, padded sheet of material which permits the cart to be used as a creeper. However, the thickness of the undertray of the device with the creeper portion installed thereon, results in a relatively thick assembly which is not desirable when working in the limited clearance beneath a vehicle. Flowers does not disclose any provision for lighting, arm rests, or lateral storage for tools and parts in his cart, which features are all a part of the present creeper invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,211 issued on Jul. 19, 1994 to Michael A. Nicholson, titled “Mechanic's Creeper,” describes a creeper having a slide-out extension for supporting the buttocks or hips of a person reclining thereon. The headrest also pivotally folds on the Nicholson creeper, for further reduction of length for storage. However, the extension comprises a nearly full width panel having considerable length, thereby taking up much of the space between the frame members when the extension is retracted into its storage position. The extension of the present creeper comprises a tubular frame which telescopes into the peripheral tubular frame of the primary structure, with a relatively small hip support pad or cushion removably installable on the deployed extension. The result is considerably more storage room between the frame members of the present creeper, than provided in the Nicholson creeper. Moreover, it is noted that the extension of the Nicholson creeper does not have any support wheels or casters, but is cantilevered from the primary frame structure with its wheels or casters. It would appear that this would overbalance the Nicholson creeper when most of the weight of an occupant is resting toward or upon the deployed extension, as occurs from time to time during use and particularly when initially lying down upon or rising from the creeper. The tool storage area of the Nicholson creeper is necessarily limited by the room required for storage of the extension, as noted further above. The Nicholson storage drawers are accordingly relatively narrow and shallow, and do not provide sufficient room for many tools. In contrast, the storage area of the present creeper extends for substantially the entire width and length of the area defined by the frame of the device, with considerably less than half the storage space being taken up by the extension cushion. Moreover, Nicholson fails to provide any form of storage case or container for his assembly, whereas the present creeper is configured for storage in, and includes, a relatively compact storage container.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,460,392 issued on Oct. 24, 1995 to Michael R. Hansen, titled “Height Adjustable Universal Creeper Apparatus,” describes a device having an open frame with a single vertical arm extending upwardly from the frame crossmember. A platform is attached to the upper end of the arm, and is telescopically adjustable in height. An extension tray is provided for holding tools and the like, but the tray is much too light to support a person working atop the creeper and any substantial weight placed on the extension tray would overbalance the assembly due to the lack of support beneath the extension. The Hansen creeper cannot be lowered for working beneath a vehicle or structure having relatively little ground clearance, as can the present creeper, but is adapted more for extending over otherwise difficult to reach structures.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,126 issued on Apr. 29, 1997 to Jack Vosbikian et al., titled “Mechanic's Creeper With Detachable Toolbox,” describes a creeper having a recessed shoulder area in the platform, with the platform being supported by six wheels or casters. A removable tool tray may be attached to each side of the platform, if so desired. The Vosbikian et al. creeper appears to be of conventional length, and no folding or collapsing means is provided to reduce the size of the device for storage, unlike the present creeper with its telescoping extension. Moreover, no lighting or supplemental tool storage area beneath the platform are provided by Vosbikian et al., whereas the present mechanic's creeper invention includes such supplemental lighting and under platform tool storage.
U.S. Patent No. RE 35,372 reissued on Feb. 17, 1998 to Troy Shockley, titled “Transformable Mechanic's Creeper,” describes a creeper having a folding center section comprising a pair of arms connecting the two end sections. One end may be positioned over the other to form a raised seating surface, if so desired. When the Shockley device is used as a creeper, an additional pad is placed in a tray at the end opposite the seating section end, to extend across the otherwise open center section. The removable pad nests within the peripheral frame members, thereby precluding any provision for tool or other storage therein. Moreover, Shockley does not provide any lighting means with his device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,895,062 issued on Apr. 20, 1999 to Joseph J. Miles et al., titled “Foldable Creeper,” describes a creeper having two sections joined at a central hinge or pivot at each frame side rail. Each section is supported by a series of four casters; the flexibility of the hinges in at least some configurations, requires centrally disposed wheels or casters to support the non-rigid frame. The cushions or pads of the Miles et al. creeper are nested between the frame rails, thereby precluding any space for tool storage. No supplemental lighting is disclosed for the Miles et al. creeper.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,238,069 issued on May 29, 2001 to Joseph J. Miles, titled “Light Bracket Assembly For Mechanics Creepers,” describes an add-on device for a conventional creeper having a dropped transverse head member for the frame. The add-on bracket attaches to the open ends of the longitudinal frame members, beyond the head member of the frame and head support pad of the creeper. The Miles bracket is configured to hold a conventional mechanic's trouble light therein. The creeper is otherwise conventional, with no retractable extension for compact storage, tool storage means, or other features of the present creeper invention.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2002/109,991 published on Aug. 15, 2002 to Andrew J. Alsup, titled “Mechanic's Creeper With Work Lighting,” describes a creeper having a series of elongate lighting elements (fluorescent, etc.) disposed along the edges of the device. No folding or retractable elements, tool storage, arm rests, or articulated, adjustably positionable lighting is disclosed by Alsup in his creeper, which features are all parts of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. D-406,683 issued on Mar. 9, 1999 to Ken Taylor et al., titled “Oversized Drop Shoulder Creeper With T-Bar Support,” illustrates designs for two embodiments of a creeper having a head and shoulder rest portion which may be raised or sloped upwardly as desired. No folding or retractable components in the frame, tool storage compartment(s), or lighting means are apparent in the Taylor et al. design.
British Patent Publication No. 2,178,702 published on Feb. 18, 1987 to Delmos Limited, titled “Crawler,” describes a creeper having a primary structure molded from plastic or composite material. Lights are provided in recesses to each side of the headrest portion of the device, but these lights cannot be adjusted or aimed for maximum effectiveness. No closed tool storage or retractable/extendible portions of the device are provided in the Delmos Limited creeper.
British Patent Publication No. 2,198,994 published on Jun. 29, 1988 to Colin A. Pugh, titled “Crawler Board,” describes a creeper having an angularly adjustable head and shoulder rest, but lacking tool storage, lighting, and other features provided by the present mechanic's creeper invention. As such, the creeper of the Pugh '994 British Patent Publication appears to more closely resemble the creeper of the '683 U.S. Design Patent to Taylor et al., described further above, than it does the present creeper invention.
PCT Patent Publication No. 88/09,709 published on Dec. 15, 1988 to Ingemar Friare, titled “A Fitter's Trolley,” describes a creeper having an angularly adjustable back and headrest portion, with no lighting, tool storage, or retractable portions being disclosed. The creeper of the Friare '709 PCT Patent Publication thus resembles the creepers of the '683 U.S. Design Patent to Taylor et al. and the '994 British Patent Publication to Pugh, than it does the present creeper invention.
British Patent Publication No. 2,251,828 published on Jul. 22, 1992 to Mohammed A. Moghal, titled “Tool Trolley And Combined Seat,” describes a roll around folding seat with folding lateral tool carrying extensions. The device is not truly a creeper, in that a person cannot lie down on the device in a supine position due to the seat structure and the relatively short length of the device. No means for extending the length of the device is disclosed for the Moghal tool trolley, nor is any lighting disclosed.
Finally, Catalog No. 106 from the McMaster-Carr Supply Company of Cleveland, Ohio (no date given, but believed to have been published in about 1996) discloses a series of eight different mechanic's creepers on page 1359, designated by the letters A through H. Creeper A appears to closely resemble the creeper of the Taylor et al. '683 U.S. Design Patent, discussed further above. Creeper B appears to closely resemble the creeper of the Miles et al. '062 U.S. Utility Patent, discussed further above. Creeper H appears to closely resemble the creeper of the Vosbikian et al. '126 U.S. Utility Patent, discussed further above, and includes a single light at the head end thereof. With the exception of the light shown on the creeper H, the discussions provided further above for the creepers similar to the creeper models A, B, and H of the McMaster-Carr Catalog are seen to apply here as well. None of the other creeper models illustrated in the McMaster-Carr Catalog appear to provide any retraction means, closed tool storage, or lighting means, which features are a part of the present mechanic's creeper invention.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a mechanic's creeper solving the aforementioned problems is desired.